Method and apparatus for cracking oils



Dec. 13, 1927.

w. BRINK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OILS Filed March 3, 1925 Wllidm Brink,

Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BRDTK, OF EENRYETTA, OKLAHOMA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING 01148 Application filed larch 8, 1925. Serial No. 12,987.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a method of treatment of such oils and of apparatus for carrying out the process.

In carrying out my process I pump continuousl into each of a plurality of cracking cham ers the oil to be treated, subject the oil with or without the addition of field gas or casing head gasoline to heat, cause the heated mixture to pass upwardly through a relativel small pipe to be discharged against a aflle, at which point the gaseous constituents will rise and pass to the condenser, and the liquid portions will fall by avity through an appreciable distance, oal two to six feet for exam le, preferabl four feet, to the main body oi the oil, prc erably in a large tank or still body wherein {)te may freely return to the cracking cham- The present rocess and apparatus differ from the o1 er types of similar gasoline recovery practice in that no fire is applied to the main still, and the carbon which is rc moved in the still can therefore be removed from this still without caking and practical- 1 without coking, since the carbon falls into the lower hemispherical end of the still in the form of fine particles, or cinders as they are technically termed. There is a gravity flow of oil from the still into the cracking chambers and no chedk valve is required due to the tendency of oil to rise through a small pipe when heated and to descend in a larger pipe where there is free communication.

In the drawin the figure illustrates diagrammatically t e apparatus for oarrying by means of a pipe 14, which opens into the still at a oint above the junction between the straig t cylindrical side 15 and the hemispherical bottom 16, thus providing an appreciable drop between the still and t-he cracking chamber 11.

I find it convenient to have the cracking chambers each about six feet long and somewhat over eight inches in diameter, and the still to be ap roximately three feet in diames ter and rou ly fifteen feet hi h. The feed pipe 10 lea ing into the cracEing chamber 11 is reduced at its nozzle 17. .to ap roximately one-half inch, and preferably s ould be centrally disposed and in line with the somewhat larger pipe 14 leading from the still to the cracking chamber. There is a fire under each cracking chamber,- diagra'mmatirepresented by the as burner 20 and call? pre erably allof the crac ing chambers are ocated within a furnace 18. The heat of this fire or temperature at the cracking chamber will naturally vary with the grade of oil cracked. As an example, I use a temperature of about 800 F. with a pressure of fifty fpounds per square inch in crackin an oil 0 the average grade of the s'o-called fuel oil.

Communication between each cracking chamber 11 and the primary drum 22- is by means of pipes 23 which are appreciably larger than the pipe 10, that feeds the oil to the cracking chambers. Each pipe 2-3 discharges against a battle plate 25 conveniently in the form of a semi-torus, as clearly seen in the figure. 'lhe combined liquid and vapor from the cracking chambers discharging against the ballle is separated into liquid and gas, the former dischargin 'by gravity first to the drum 22 and from t ere through the mouth 27 into large still 12. The level of liquid in this still is about four feet below the baffle, and in order to cause the liquid to fall through this distance rather than cling to the walls of the still I pro vide a short extension 28 of the pipe 29 forming the mouth 27. thus causin the liquid to drop through the center 0 the still and aiding in the release of entrapped gas.

1 The gaseous constituents of the mixturewhich has passed from the crackin chamber 11 to the drum 22 ascend from t e drum 22 throu h a lurality of pipes 30 to a. secondary rum 1 somewhat smaller than the primary drum 22. For the size given fpr ever the scaling becomes appreciable.

. ihe condensing coils.

the still and cracking chambers-I find the primary drum.22 should be about twenty inches in diameter; the secondary drum 31.

should be about one foot in diameter, and the third drum about six inches. From the thirddrum 33 the gases enter the coils 34 and are condensed in the usual manner passing finally to a gasoline receiving tank 35. The desired pressure is created in the ordinary and well-known way, by a relief valve (not shown) on the extreme lowest end of the coils, which valve opens and closes and can be set to open at any pressure desired, no pump being required in assistance unless perchance the distance from the supply tank to the cracking chambers is such as to re'nder a pump necessary in line 10.

The craciring chambers have a comparatively long ife', but should be replaced whlenhe valves 40 and 41 have no'other function than to close the pipes 23 and 14 respectively in case it is desired to remove'or replace one of the cracking chambers.

The rocess in full is as follows: Oil is pumpe into the cracking chamber at a steady rate equivalent witlr the figur es given so far to about seven barrels per hour. The oil ascends throu h the pipes 23, discharging against the aflle 25; the ll uid ortion falls throu h a distance of a at our hot to the liqui level in the still'and r'adua'ly is drawn down the large still, uring which time the carbon separates and falls 1-1! the lower hemispherical portion 16, from which it may be removed through the exit 45) providing a constant flow of oil through pipe 14 from near the bottom of the tank to each of the cracking chambers.

The process is continuous and the oil asses again and again to the cracking chamher until the recovery of gasoline is complete. The gaseous portions as separated at he baflle plate 25 are not all delivered to I prefer to rovidc the three drums in order that the eavier vapors may condense in these drums and then flow back to the still for recrackingj rather than to pass them to the condenser to be li uefied. A

Wgiile I have described in process in groatgdorad do not wish to limited to the specific figures given except in connection with the grade of oil for which these figures are applicable. In the cracking of oil there are always three elements necessax namely, heat, agitation and pressure an all of these may vary in using different oils. The process is applicable for all sorts of different types of oil, varying from the straight crude oil of high grade to heavy gravity fuel oil and the cracking temperature will naturally vary within great limits rel aging roughly from about 475 F. for an o ary grade, straight crude oil to even cracke separate there the gaseous portions from more than 1,000 F. for a heavy gravity fuel oil. The pressure in the system does not vary within great limits but should be decreased as the oils are more heavy. The agitation is secured by the circulation set up byv heating the cracking chambers and a very important feature is the drop through space in the large still.

In actual practice of my invention I find itconvenient to have complete systems for handling the different grades of oil. I use one complete refinery as described in this be varied somewhat but I find the most satisfactory size to be as cited within eneral limits. I have used with success or example, more stills assmall as 24 inches in diameter and others as great as 4 feet in diameter all of them varying however within the limits of 12 to 15 feet in height. The pressure varies from atmospheric to about one hundred pounds in accordance with the gravity and the kind of oil, a paratlin base oil requiring a higher pressure than an asphalt base oil, for example.

iVhat I claim is 1. The method o cracking different grades of mineral oil which consists in subecting the oil in a cracking chamber to a cracking temperature appropriate to the grade of'oil ranging roug for straight crudeloil to in excess of 1,000 F, for heavy fuel oils, agitating the oil by passing it through;a closed system, maintaining the pressure in said system of ap; proximately fifty pounds per uare inc passin the mixture of cracke and un oil to a vertically disposed bafiie to the liquid portions of the treated mixture, cooling and condensing the gaseous portion, returning the heavier portion of the condensed gases to the system and retaining the lighter portions of-the gases 'as finished product causing the liquid portion from the hatlle to fall by gravit through space to the main body of the li ui slowing the movement of a portion 0 the oil in the'system to enable it to deposit carbon in a settling basin and withdrawing oil from said slow moving body of oil'at a point appreciably above the settling basin and gassing it to the cracking chamber.

2. combination, a. main still of from m to four feet in diameter and fr ily from 475 F.

twelve to fifteen feet in height and having a carbon settlin basin at the bottom thereof, a receiving um mounted above and in communication with said still, a curved bafile plate in said drum, a furnace, a cracking chamber in said furnace approximately eight inches in diameter and about six feet lon' a returnpipe connecting said chamber wit the main sill at a point appreciably above said settling basin and at a height to give and opyifrom the still into the crackmg chambe'rjind piping from said cracking chamber for discharging the heated products from'said chamber to said baflle and means for collecting the gaseous products from said baflle and for condensing same into gasoline.

3. In combination, a vertical still having a carbon settlin basin at the bottom thereof, a receiving rum mounted above and in communication with said still, a baffle plate in said drum, a cracking chamber, a return pipe conveying oil to said chamber from the main still at a point appreciably above said settling basin so as to provide a gravity drop from the still into the cracking cham her, and means for conveying heated products -from said chamber to said baflie.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

' WILLIAM BRINK. 

